Portable cabinet and stand



P 11, 1956 v. E. DEINLEIN PORTABLE CABINET AND STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1955 172 2/6 nio 7. T zcfm" Epez'nlez'n p 11, 1956 v. E. DEINLEIN 2,762,673

PORTABLE CABINET AND STAND Filed Feb. 7,. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Zinflnfar: Vi'clor E .Dez'n la in 9 5014mm! fmmli United States Patent PORTABLE CABINET AND STAND Victor E. Deinlein, Charlottesville, Va., assignor to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Croze't, Va., a corporation of Delaware Application February 7, 1955, Serial No. 486,458

3 Claims. 01. 312-251 This invention relates to a novel portable cabinet and mounting therefor, and particularly to a record filing cabinet, or the like, in combination with a supporting stand constructed and arranged in a manner permitting the cabinet to be swung from a generally horizontal operating position to a vertical position and housed within the stand for transportation or storage.

The invention is further concerned with novel means for engaging and supporting the cabinet in its generally horizontal operating position, whereby it may be quickly and conveniently released from such position, nested Within the supporting stand, and again quickly and securely locked in the latter position for compact shipment and storage. I

Further objects relate to other details of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my assembly with the cabinet in its elevated operative position on the supporting stand.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2, but with the cabinet rotated to vertical position and nested within the stand.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in section illustrating spring pressed detent means for securing the movable cabinet retaining-bar to the stand in fixed position.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral generally indicates a cabinet having a closure or door 11, and as in the case of the cabinet illustrated, may have a withdrawable worktray 12. The illustrated cabinet is also adapted to contain trays of visible index record cards horizontally disposed and in vertically stacked arrangement, which for use are adapted to be drawn out and pivoted downwardly for inspection and reference.

The cabinet 10 is hinged to the normally horizontal bar 13 of the stand by means of the yoke 14 which embraces bar 13 and is secured as at 15 to the bottom of the cabinet adjacent one end thereof. The stand further comprises a pair of standards 16-16 which may be in the form of tubes connected together by a U-bend as illustrated, and a similar pair of standards 17-17. The base of these standards may be provided with foot members 18, and if desired casters may be provided for the feet. These standards are tied together in rectangular arrangement adjacent their foot portions by the side bars 19 and 20 and by the transverse bars 21 and 22. The standards are further tied together adjacent their upper portions by the side bars 23 and 24 and the single transverse bar 13 previously mentioned between one standard 16 and one standard 17. Thus, in the absence of a bar forwardly of transverse bar 13, the cabinet 10 may be swung on its hinge 14 between the standards 16-16 and 17-17 to nest between them.

For enabling the hinged cabinet 10 to be secured in either operative horizontal position or inoperative vertical position between the standards, I provide a locking bar, generally indicated as 25, medially pivoted as at 26 to the base of cabinet 10 adjacent the forward portion thereof. This locking bar is formed with Y-shaped end portions adapted for embracing engagement with the side bars 23 and 24, respectively. The bar 25 may-be formed ,of a pair of plates 27 and 28 secured together as a unit, the upper plate 27 being fiat with its ends projecting to the outer defining sides of the standards 16-16 and 17-17, and the lower plate 28 having its ends bent to form sub stantially a Y-shape with the adjacent bar end and spaced therefrom so as to be able to embrace either an adjacent pair of standards 16 and 17 or their tie bars 23 and 24.

Thus in operative employment of the cabinet, it is lifted to a horizontal position and the bar 25 pivoted so that its Y-end portions embrace the bars 23 and 24, respectively. When it is desired to store or transport the unit, the bar 25 is rotated so that its ends are free of the bars 23 and 24, the cabinet 10 inclined downwardly on the hinge 14 to vertical position, and the bar 25 then pivoted to embracing engagement with the pair of standards 16 and 17 to prevent further movement.

For further securing the Y-ends of the bar 25 frgm accidental displacement in either of its aforesaid positions, I provide spring pressed detent means adjacent one or both ends of bar 25 carried by the upper component 27. This comprises an annular bushing 29 in engagement with a threaded aperture in the end of the bar 27,

retaining the detent 30 which is normally urged down-- wardly by the confined compression spring 31 into a complementary aperture 32 in the tubes forming the tie bars 23 and 24, and the standards 16 and 17, as best illustrated in the detail of Fig. 5.

The stand may be further provided with arcuate members 33 secured to an adjacent pair of standard components 16 and 17 to provide supporting feet when the assembly is turned on its side and to further permit stacking of a plurality of units in inoperative position. It will be further understood, although not shown, that I may provide auxiliary shelves in hinged or pivoted engagement with the side bars 23 and 24 adapted to be held in horizontal operative or collapsed vertical position by securing means.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a compact cabinet and associated stand unit which may be nested together for storage and shipment and readily set up in operative position, such assembly being desirable for mobile purposes and temporary use at different locations, such as for example for military field use, construction projects, and the like.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my device, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A portable unit comprising a rectangular cabinet, a supporting stand therefor comprising four standards, tie bars extending between said standards adjacent their base portions securing them together in rectangular arrangement adapted to receive the cabinet between them, three substantially parallel tie bars extending respectively between adjacent standards and adjacent their upper portions, hinge means in engagement with the base of the cabinet adjacent its rear end securing the cabinet in pivoted engagement with the intermediate one of said upper tie bars, and a locking bar in pivotal engagement with the base of the cabinet adjacent its forward end, said locking bar including terminal end portions for em 3 bracing engagement with the remaining two upper tie bars to hold the cabinet in substantially horizontal operative position on said stand and alternately with an adjacent pair of standards to hold the cabinet in nested arrangement within the stand.

2. A portable unit comprising a rectangular cabinet, a supporting stand therefor comprising four standards, tie bars extending between said standards adjacent their base portions securing them together in the form of a rectangular frame adapted to receive the cabinet between said standards above said lower tie bars, substantially parallel tie bars extending between two sides and one end of said frame adjacent the tops of said standards,

hinge means in embracing engagement with said upper end tie bar and secured to the base of said cabinet adjacent its rearward end, and a locking bar in pivotal engagement with the base of said cabinet adjacent its forward end having substantially Y-shaped terminal end portions adapted for alternate embracing engagement with the upper side tie bars to retain the cabinet in generally horizontal operating position on the stand and with an adjacent pair of standards to hold the cabinet in downwardly pivoted nested position within the stand.

3. A portable unit comprising a rectangular cabinet, a supporting stand therefor comprising four standards, tie bars extending between said standards adjacent their base portions securing them together in the form of a rectangular frame adapted to receive the cabinet between said standards above said lower tie bars, substantially parallel tie bars extending between two sides and one end of said frame adjacent the tops of said standards, hinge means in embracing engagement with said upper end tie bar and secured to the base of said cabinet adjacent its rearward end, a locking bar in pivotal engagement with the base of said cabinet adjacent its forward end having substantially Y-shaped terminal end portions adapted for alternate embracing engagement with the upper side tie bars to retain the cabinet in generally horizontal operating position on the stand and with an adjacent pair of standards to hold the cabinet in downwardly pivoted nested position within the stand, and spring pressed detent means carried by a Y-shaped end portion of said pivotal bar projectable through an aperture formed thereat and receivable in a complementary aperture formed in a top side tie bar and in a complementary aperture formed in a standard for releasably locking said pivotal bar in said alternative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,139,833 Bates May 18, 1915 1,227,323 Russell May 22, 1917 2,264,419 Unger Dec. 2, 1941 2,524,391 Le Grow Oct. 3, 1950 2,541,664 Pollack Feb. 13, 1951 

